From creating edibles to crafting policy, these women are influencing the way marijuana industry is rolling out in America.

Among the many benefits of marijuana legalization – from an influx of tax revenue to a reduced prison population – the emerging $7 billion market is providing new opportunities, with fewer barriers, for enterprising women.

As a product, cannabis "crosses genders, ethnicities, economic backgrounds and political views," says Sally Nichols, a leading pot investor. "To me, that was a game-changer."

Here are six women advancing the cause of America's most intoxicating cash crop.